


Before the Fall

by Shooting_Stars_Library



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Don't copy to another site, Experimentation, F/M, Fluff, Hybrid - Freeform, Hybrid AU, Questionable ethics, Sorry Not Sorry, do not copy to another site, kind of a social commentary, ooc luka sorry, referenced abuse, scifi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24383686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shooting_Stars_Library/pseuds/Shooting_Stars_Library
Summary: An account of the events that led to the fall of an empire.(Summaries are spoilers so that's all you're getting :-P)Cross-posted to Tumblr
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Original Female Character(s), Luka Couffaine/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	Before the Fall

**Author's Note:**

> I am still writing. Adulting is hard, college is time-consuming, motivation is scarce. This was originally a story I wrote for a writing class for college (which I have now graduated from! though I still have two more years at uni to get my teaching degree) so I’m sorry if this isn’t super romantic or if Luka is OOC. I also haven’t written for him before. If you want to read the original story let me know!  
> SHOUTOUT TO MY DISCORD FRIENDS FOR ENCOURAGING ME TO WRITE THIS!💚💚💚

__

_It’s not illegal_ , she told herself. _There are no laws against it. Besides, you could use the company, all alone in this big old house. It’s not illegal._

Those words had been her mantra for the last week, while she was waiting for Biotech to deliver her order. Strictly speaking, she wasn’t wrong, there was nothing illegal about what she had done. In fact, it was a trend now to buy Biotech merchandise. Their antibiotics had done wonders for the medical field, and their fire-resistant trees had done wonders for places such as California, Texas, even the Amazon. The company had a hand in so many fields, it was practically an empire all its own. It was their newest technology that had everyone buzzing, though they released it several years ago, and it was one of these “new” products that had (Y/N) (L/N) pacing the entrance hall of the mansion she had inherited from her late grandfather. 

Her grandfather had raised her after her parents had died when she was nine. His wife had died a few years back, and he had been more than happy to have (Y/N) come and liven up the old house. Her grandfather had been her best friend, and as her career began to take off and she became too busy for much of a social life, he became her only friend. At least, until he had died. There was nothing spectacular about it, the doctors said it was old age. Whatever the reason was, he was gone, and (Y/N) was now alone in the world. Which was what brought her to this moment, waiting for her order to arrive. 

(Y/N) glanced at the clock. Half-past eleven. The delivery people should be arriving at any moment. (Y/N) ran through the checklist in her head again, to make sure she had everything the website had said she would need, and that she had done everything she had needed to do to prepare for this morning. She’d even remembered to take some time off from work so that she would be free in case any complications arose concerning her purchase. As she reached the end of her list, she half-giggled to herself, remembering the last task she had set for herself: Panic. Well, she had that one down pat. She was startled out of her thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell, followed by three sharp knocks. Obviously whoever was at the door wanted to make sure she knew they were there. She took a deep breath, then marched to the door. 

There was a tall, thin woman on the other side of it, dressed in business attire. She looked more like a lawyer than a delivery woman, but one look at the person next to her confirmed that the woman was, in fact, here to deliver her Biotech purchase. 

(Y/N) had ordered a hybrid. A human-animal hybrid. Perhaps years ago this would have been seen as an unthinkable horror, but after gene-editing, nobody really got up-in-arms about anything anymore. Hybrids were actually becoming quite commonplace, some families buying them as playmates for their children, others as companions. The term “companion” was sometimes used to suggest a certain type of companionship, but all (Y/N) was interested in was someone to make the house seem not quite so empty and quiet. The website said male hybrids tended to be less temperamental than females, so she got a male. She also chose a cat hybrid, as they were more self-reliant than dogs or any of the rodent breeds, and she’d always liked cats. 

There were no pictures on the site, so she didn’t know what her hybrid would look like, and looking at pictures of Norwegian Forest cats only got her so far. Even now that he was here in front of her, she wasn’t able to get a good look at him, since the Biotech employee was impatiently asking for her signature and giving a rehearsed thank you speech for purchasing from the company. After the paperwork was in order and she was no longer needed, the well-dressed delivery woman took off, leaving (Y/N) and her hybrid alone on the front steps. 

(Y/N) was now able to direct her attention solely to the cat hybrid in front of her. He was good-looking, in a soft, cute sort of way. His skin was pale, but not sickly, and he was slim. Casey would almost describe him sleek, though she knew he was probably much stronger than he looked. Maybe that was part of the cat genes? He had green eyes - or were they blue?- with vertical pupils, definitely from the cat genes. A pair of black, velvety ears sat nestled in his ebony hair, pressed almost flat to his head. His tail, which was long, very fluffy, and the same color as his ears and hair, flicked nervously behind him. 

(Y/N) jerked, realizing her staring was making him uncomfortable, and stepped aside so he could enter the house. 

“Uh, please, come in.” 

The cat hybrid did as he was bid, slowly, cautiously. Once he was in, (Y/N) shut the door, and turned to see him scenting the air. She stood watching him for a moment, before calling out to him. 

“How about we head to the living room? There are some things we should probably talk about.” 

He nodded, and followed her down the hall to the aforementioned room. She gestured to one of the couches, inviting him to sit down. He did so tentatively, seemingly still wary even after she had told him it was okay for him to do so. His ears were nearly flat against his head, and he curled his tail around his waist as if trying to protect himself, though from what she had no idea. She sat on the couch opposite him, and gave him a warm, somewhat awkward smile, trying to make him feel more comfortable. 

“Hi.” 

A beat. “Hello,” he replied. 

“I’m (Y/N).” She moved to shake his hand, but decided not to at the last second. 

He nodded. “My new owner.” 

(Y/N) shifted uncomfortably. “Well, yes. I mean, on paper I guess I am but…” 

His ears lifted slightly, catching her eye for a split second before her gaze shot back down to meet his. 

“I-I’d rather you not think of me that way.” 

His pupils dilated slightly from their previous slit shape, and his ears straightened completely. “How… how do you want me to think of you then?” 

She shifted uncomfortably once again. “I… look, I know you were… I’m not looking for a pet just… a friend.” 

“A… friend?” At her nod, he gave her a half-smile. “That sounds… nice.” 

(Y/N) smiled back, relieved. “Good. That’s great. Uh, so, you know my name already, but I don’t know yours.” 

The hybrid’s ears flattened against his head again. “I don’t have one.” 

“They didn’t give you one at Biotech?” 

He flinched slightly. “N-no. I had an ID code. NF-257.” 

(Y/N)’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open slightly. She quickly recovered, and in a tone of finality, said, “Well, here, you won’t be a number. Wait here, I’ll be right back.” 

She stood up and left the room, heading to the library. It was a big library, full of books that her grandfather had collected over the years, along with some of her own. She knew her way around the shelves quite well, so she knew exactly where to find the book she was looking for. In roughly three minutes she was back in the living room, the tome clutched in her hands. 

She paused. “I don’t mean to be rude, but can you read?” 

He nodded. “They taught us everything from reading and writing to basic household chores. I love playing different instruments, but I wasn’t allowed to use them outside of training.” 

The hybrid had started to smile as he spoke, but by the end of his sentence, it had disappeared. (Y/N) frowned, but quickly wiped it away and replaced it with a bright smile. 

“Well, I have a guitar you can use, if you’d like. If you want I can even get you your own.” 

His eyes widened and a smile broke out on his face, his ears and tail twitching excitedly. (Y/N)’s heart melted. “Really? My own guitar?” 

“Yeah. I can order it later if you want.” She then remembered the book in her hands. “Oh, here, I thought this might help with your, er, name situation.” 

She handed him the book, and he took it curiously, eyes scanning the cover. He gave her a glassy-eyed look. “Y-you’re going to let me pick out my name?” 

“Of course. I’d rather call you something you like, rather than a name you’re forced to answer to.” 

A tear rolled down the hybrid’s cheek before he wiped it away. “Thank you.” 

(Y/N) gave him a warm smile. “You’re welcome.” 

The next week was spent settling Luka, as he’d chosen to be called, into the house. Clothes were bought, and a guitar was ordered, and plans were made to repaint one of the bedrooms to suit Luka’s tastes. He’d chosen the bedroom across the hall from (Y/N), feeling more comfortable being where he could hear her. He insisted on helping her with the household chores, and enjoyed simply being in the same room as she was. They spent many afternoons in her study or the library; she would write or read while he would play his guitar. Sometimes they would just sit and talk. (Y/N) did most of the talking at first, telling Luka about her job as an investigative reporter, her hobbies, and her grandfather. Luka liked hearing about him the most, and (Y/N) loved to talk about the man who had meant so much to her for so long. Eventually, Luka began sharing as well. He didn’t talk much about his past, but he talked a lot about the things he wanted to try, places he wanted to see. He even expressed his desire to dye the tips of his hair a bright teal, and was pleasantly surprised by (Y/N)’s enthusiastic response. By the end of the first month, Luka had become a whole new person. He was still quiet; he didn’t like to make a lot of noise, but he was very playful and affectionate. He loved to write silly little songs about whatever popped into his head. Oftentimes his songs were about something (Y/N) had done that had amused him. Today though, there was no song, just lighthearted teasing. 

“Coffee’s in the microwave, (Y/N).” 

“I’m telling you it isn’t! I just pulled it out, and now I can’t find it.” 

“You never took it out. You opened the door, got distracted by your phone, then shut the door again without taking your coffee out. It’s still in there.” Luka was doing a fantastic job of schooling his facial features to look like he wasn’t enjoying this immensely, but his tail gave him away, swishing excitedly back and forth. 

“No it’s not it’s…” She trailed off as she opened the door, seeing her mug in the appliance. She glared at Luka, who smiled innocently at her. 

“Shut up.” 

“I didn’t say anything.” 

“You didn’t have to. Your tail gave you away.” 

Luka jumped slightly, surprised, then glared playfully at his tail. “Traitor.” 

(Y/N) burst into laughter, and Luka quickly followed, their combined sounds of joy drifting through the kitchen. 

The next day, (Y/N) took Luka to get his hair dyed professionally since she wanted to be sure it was done correctly, and didn’t trust her own skills. Luka was a little nervous to go to the back of the salon on his own, but (Y/N) assured him that she would wait in the front for him, and he needed her she would come straight back. 

“Besides, I’ve known Melody for years, you’re in good hands.” 

Melody, a plump woman of about forty, gave a bright smile and beckoned Luka to follow her. “Come along dear, you’ll be back in no time.” 

Luka gave (Y/N) look, and after she nodded he followed Melody. (Y/N) sat in one of the chairs provided for waiting customers and pulled out her phone to pass the time. It took longer than she was expecting, considering he was only getting his tips dyed, but about two-and-a-half hours later, Melody came back with Luka in tow. He looked good. Really good. The dye matched his eye color almost perfectly, making the teal orbs stand out even more than before. Luka really was a very attractive individual. 

(Y/N) didn’t even realize she was staring until Melody cleared her throat and gave her a pointed look. 

“Well? How does it look?” Luka sounded normal, but the nervous look in his eyes gave him away. 

(Y/N) gave him a bright smile. “It looks wonderful. I really like it. Do you?” 

Luka nodded, seeming relieved. “I do. Melody did a great job.” 

“I should hope so. I’ve been doing this for over ten years now.” The hairdresser replied with a laugh. 

After paying and thanking Melody for her services, the two left the salon. Luka turned to (Y/N). “You really like it?” 

“I do. It suits you perfectly.” 

Luka gave her a small, but heartfelt smile that she returned, and they stood there staring at one another for a few seconds before they both became flustered and looked away. 

“So… you hungry?” 

Luka laughs. “Starved." 

Life was pleasant for the two, however, there were still times when Luka seemed to struggle. With what, (Y/N) wasn’t sure, but she knew he’d open up when he was ready. He didn’t like small spaces, and liked to leave his bedroom door open if he wasn’t changing. (Y/N) wasn’t too fond of small spaces either and often left her own door open, a habit left over from living on her own for so long, so she thought nothing of this. There were other things that sent up red flags in her mind, however. It didn’t happen often, but once in a while Luka would wake up from his naps gasping and covered in sweat. She imagined this happened at night as well, but he never said anything, so she couldn’t be sure. He never liked being left alone either, always insisting that he come with her whenever she had to leave the house. It could have been part of his Norwegian Forest cat DNA, as they were known to become quite attached to their owners, but the almost panicked behavior he would exhibit if he thought she was going to leave him alone made her worry. He also didn’t like to talk about his time at Biotech, and whenever she brought it up, he would answer a few questions, but if she continued to press him, would shut down and retreat to his room. 

A few months went by, and (Y/N) and Luka were very close. Their relationship had moved further than friends, as they had originally established, but they had yet to sit down and discuss it. For now though, they were happy with the way things were, happy to move at their own pace. After her vacation time was over, her job didn’t leave her with much free time, so when she did have the odd day off, they took full advantage of it. Recently, they had taken to having movie marathons. They’d make a bunch of food and beverages, grab a dozen or so blankets and pillows to make a fort with, and spend the day losing themselves in other worlds. The first few marathons were (Y/N) showing Luka all of the greats, including Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Matrix (though they both agreed the first movie of the trilogy was the only good one). Soon though, their binges turned into just talking about anything and everything while a movie played in the background. It was during one of these sessions that Luka revealed his biggest secret. 

(Y/N) had decided to try asking about Biotech again, perhaps Luka would be more open now that they were much closer. She made sure to keep her tone light, so as not to spook him. 

“So, what was it like at Biotech? Was it like being in a movie? All of those scientists bustling around, making history?” 

Luka was silent, and his ears were pressed flat to the top of his head, tail around his waist. (Y/N) sat up and paused the movie, gently grabbing his hand and squeezing it. “Hey, what’s wrong?” 

Luka wavered, seemingly unsure, before speaking. “How much do you know about Biotech? Like really know?” 

(Y/N)’s eyes widened. She knew from past interviews with informants what that phrase meant. “What are they doing?” 

Luka curled further in on himself. “Nothing good. I don’t remember much, they wipe you before you leave, but I guess that much pain can’t be taken out by a machine.” 

A gasp, and (Y/N)’s arms wrapped around the hybrid’s shaking form. They sat there for a few minutes, Luka quietly recounting what little he could remember of the horrors of the Biotech Hybrid facility. 

“And the cages, there were so many, and all of them filled with other hybrids. Terrified. The place smelled of fear, pain. So much pain…” Luka broke into a heartbreaking mewl, his cat DNA taking over his human instincts. 

(Y/N)’s mind was running faster than she ever could hope to go physically. An idea was forming, one that could either be the greatest one she had ever come up with, or could end with her lying in a ditch, if not something worse. 

“Luka, I think I know what my next article is going to be.” She gave the hybrid one more squeeze, then pulled him off the couch and towards her study. 

“W-what are you…” 

She turned towards him, a grin on her face. “We are going to make the empire fall.” 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ __

_The Biotech symbol, a B with a double-helix circle around it, crops up on the screen._

_“Introducing the biggest breakthrough in biotechnology since Synthetics!” The voice on the television proclaimed. “Biotech has recently announced that they are now able to splice animal DNA with synthetic human DNA, creating the first successful Hybrids.”_

_A Biotech scientist appears on the screen. “These creatures are 100% dependent on and submissive to humans, and are a perfect blend of human and animal instincts and behaviors. This week, we will be launching our adoption program, so everyone can enjoy the best pets science has to offer.”_

_The voice from before returns along with the Biotech logo. “Available breeds can be found on the Biotech website. Log on today and find your new best friend!”_


End file.
